Category Archives: Sparkling

Do you like Prosecco? Good for you! I don’t especially like it – I’d rather have Champagne, Cava, Ferrari, English sparkling, Methode Champegnoise or new world sparklers. Turns out there are very good reasons for this: The stuff we know as Prosecco in the UK is not the best sparkling wine to be had from the region! However, an energetic and passionate fan called Kristina Issa has decided to bring good Prosecco to London. She has opened Prosecco House, London’s first bar dedicated to Prosecco at Berkeley Homes‘ One Tower Bridge, a new development just by County Hall in London.

Prosecco House

The bar will stock Prosecco DOCG, the premium prosecco from Veneto, the home of prosecco.

Kristina Issa – Owner

As well as talking about the wine, Kristina offers some insights into opening a bar single-handed in London, as you’ll hear in the podcast. Read More →

Sizzle or Steak? If you have a hugely popular event and you give it a name that precisely describes it, then it might sound a bit dull: “A room full of people tasting fermented grape juice and spitting” is not enticing. But call it the Champagne Bureau’s Annual Tasting and things are getting better. The go a step further and re-name it “The Official #Champagne Experience Day” and suddenly you’re young, modern and trendy. Move the event to a brick and concrete warehouse behind Kings Cross Station and it doesn’t sound great but relocate to the beautifully restored building of Central St Martin’s, walking distance from the Eurostar terminal and, again, we’re off!

The result is the same – you get a room full of people tasting and spitting fermented grate juice … but it’s great fun and hugely informative! Then hold the event the day after Article 50 is signed and you have a real hum-dinger! Read More →

When you are VERY successful, when you have the highest-selling red wine in the UK and a range of awards in your award cabinet (we all have one, don’t we?), do you rest on your laurels? Do you sit back and admire your success? No, you don’t because the a) there’s someone right behind you, keen to take the top slot and b) Why would you? There are always new things to do so why not do them?

Thus it was that I met the team from Cono Sur at Fizz, the Sparkling Wine show last October. Cono Sur Bicicleta is the most successful range of red wines in the country and Cono Sur have gained a reputation of drinkable, good quality wines, both from Bicicleta and from their other ranges, including and perhaps especially Reserva Especial and Silencio. So now, the front-runner in red is launching sparkling wines: a single Brut and a Rosé – no fancy marketing, no grand story, no alternate versions, just those two wines made to be easy and pleasant to drink. This is what sets Cono Sur apart – clarity, simplicity and an adherence to their vision of “No family trees, no dusty bottles, just quality wine” and uncluttered labeling. It’s a formula that works. In fact, their policy of simplicity and clarity run through everything they do so, when I spoke with them at the show, the interview was remarkably short – to the point, comprehensive and, yes, clear:

Fizz, the Sparkling Wine Show in London every autumn is a terrific opportunity to get your taste buds and nose around some of the best new non-Champagne sparking wines on the UK market. It’s held in Church House in London in their glorious round hall and is organised by the indefatigable Ben Campbell-Johnson. It is also a great place to learn new things. For example, you may have Cava pigeonholed as a low-quality, volume drink to take to parties where you can foist it on other people, while you scoff the Champers but, according to Richard Hemming MW, you’d be, at least partly, wrong! Cava is emerging as one of the top non-Champagne sparklers. Now this came as a surprise to me so I went along to ask him what he means by this:

The Champagne Bureau’s Annual London Tasting was held this year in One Great George Street, ’round the corner from Downing Street, the Palace of Westminster and along the park from Buckingham Palace. As ever, the Peretti team set up a splendid bash. The great, the good, the adequate and the befuddled congregated like wildebeest to watering hole.; they all wanted to find out what’s gnu in Champagne. (sorry)

Once again, Ben Campbell-Johnston has put on a show of sparkling wines other than Champagne (other than a few specialists or boutique producers). This time held in Church House, a terrific venue. A grand time was had by all.